Yomama

[Gwendolyn]

It has been an embarrassingly long time since I updated my blog…

So…Not getting the job stunk. Before I got the news I vacillated between overwhelming confidence that I was a shoe-in and self-deprecating assurance that I would not get the job. It was still shocking when I found out that I didn’t get it. On top of that, I learned through the gossip mill and the hire had not been officially announced, so I had to tap dance around for awhile. Seeing her now in the position, I know she was the perfect fit for the job. We are extremely different personalities and hers fits what they were looking for. There are positive and negatives to that and while I am working there through out the summer, I am focusing on the positives.

I am waiting to hear on the Rep position. When they confirmed receipt of my materials they said it would be several weeks, but now a month later…I am getting impatient. My contract is due for Marquette and I don’t want to go back if I don’t have to, but…

We have officially started trying to get pregnant . I have wanted to start trying for at least a year. DH has continued to hedge, side step and excuse his way around it. He has always had money, time excuse. Legitimate, but not a strong enough argument for where we were at. It has caused our marriage a lot of heartache and some resentment on both sides. Last month while I was in Phoenix, he decided he was ready. After all of this, he just wasn’t ready and couldn’t say that . We’re over it and one month into trying.

I am feeling really intense about it though because I have waited not-so-patiently for so long I want it immediately. I know I have to relax, but…God it is hard. I completely missed ovulation this month…I have been stressed about finishing my masters that I had some wacky months and this month re-regulated, but I missed it *sigh* DH has been running his butt off though because the first years don’t take call in July, but the third years stay on second call, so… the three second years are responsible for all of the call this month. Not the best circumstances for conceiving.

Along those lines, DH has relaxed considerably :@ . He is becoming more like the man I married and less like the thing I was issued intern year. There is still a ways to go, but he is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and that has had a wonderful effect on his coping mechanism.

We are fighting the school district to get James in the deaf and hard of hearing school for the fall . The school is in the Milwaukee district and we live in a suburb district that doesn’t have such a school. They are trying to sell their program and not really holding doors open to get him into the school. We are in the process of finding a child advocate to help grease the wheels. I may reserve the bus to come regulate on the special ed director…(insert busicon here)

[Gwendolyn]

BIG. FAT. LIARS.

I repeat…BIG. FAT. LIARS.



We have been working on transitioning James from the Birth to Three program to the school system. His birthday is at the end of August. We toured schools for the deaf and hard of hearing in April and found one that is perfect for him. It focuses on oral language while paying special attention to the needs of children with hearing loss.

When I went to James’s IEP meeting on Tuesday, I was anticipating something different than what I got. I was at a table with ten other people who talked at me for an hour and a half. They never asked if I had questions or concerns. They arrived with their IEP goals already decided any bypassed any questions or suggestions I had. I simply had to jump in there. When I did jump in I asked if it was the appropriate time, I was condescendingly told that it was fine to jump in, but these goals were based on evaluations done at daycare. So even if I know James was capable of a task, they wanted to make sure the skill transferred to other settings, so they would just keep it.

Fine. No biggie it meant he would have a very successful year, but the message was clear…They were the experts and I was a bystander. I have a doctorate (none of them could say the same) and a masters in education for God’s sake.

When we got to the end I said this was well and good, however, I feel that this other school (out of district) would be the most appropriate place for James to go to school. I was met with cold silence and then a plain, simple NO. When I asked what method of recourse I had, they answered that the other district was not accepting any new students.

Today I finally made contact with the right person in the other district (it took five phone calls of “pass the buck”) who declared she said no such thing. They have room and James is welcome. She was pissed and so am I!!!

BIG. FAT. LIARS.

I have begun the process for fighting this junk. I appreciate all of the positive energy you can spare.

[Gwendolyn]

So…We still do not have any decisions on the whole school thing. I guess I can’t say much about the mediation proceedings because we signed a confidentiality agreement. :! I can say that both sides are moving closer to one another. We meet again in a few weeks, to hopefully come to an agreement. In the meantime, James will be receiving services at his daycare.

The Daycare…

So I started working at the daycare. I don’t hate it. I can’t say that I will pursue daycare work past my need for a job and a break in childcare costs, but it won’t squash my spirit. On the contrary. I find that it is boosting my resolve. The reasons are many and varied, but the essence is this:

If this is the sacrifice that I have to make in my life…I should be dancing naked in the streets throwing hard candies to the children. :ra: Why was I being such a whiner?

I work with people who have chosen this as a career and they are very happy with it and they are good at what they do. I have already picked up a few good parenting habits that I just didn’t get before. When you work with a toddler teacher who has been doing this for 20 years, you get the chance to learn some great stuff. I have run in to some hostility because I’m new, but I guess that can happen anywhere. I float where I am needed, so I just try and float into the rooms that I like the most. Also, I am never there for any longer than 3 hours, and I can do anything for that long.

James has struggled with the transition. Including the additional hours at daycare, so I have struggled with that as well. However we are home for lunch and nap three days a week. Still better than the normal full time job. We only have a few more years…

I start my first round of clomid tomorrow. DH is on call (of course) the weekend involved in ovulation. We agreed that we would have sex at least once during the week while I am ovulating, just in case sex during a call weekend becomes not an option (which it rarely is). I will do a hormone test toward the end of the cycle to see if the dosing is enough.

While we were out and about today doing family stuff we ran into an attending and his family. John commented that he must not be on call this weekend. To which he responded that he was, in fact, on call…and out at the lakefront with his family…I am excited for our future… 8)

[Gwendolyn]

Just Trying...

[Gwendolyn]

So…I feel like I have retold this story now several times as we have spread the news to family and friends.

The school district said no.

No, they would not follow the law and provide my child with a free appropriate public education.

James is hard of hearing and subsequently speech delayed. Right now he needs as much auditory development he can possibly get because he now hears as much as he will ever hear. The school we want him in has an acoustically treated room, a teacher for the deaf and hard of hearing, a speech pathologist, assistive technology and experience in cutting edge speech therapies for deaf and hard of hearing youth. The teacher does a listening test every day to ensure equipment is working and students’ hearing hasn’t shifted. Oh…and did I mention that the students are following an age appropriate curriculum?

The two classrooms offered by our district are self contained special education classrooms. When I went to observe, both contained students with severe disabilities and a curriculum that met the needs of those students. How is my child supposed to end up in a regular education classroom if he is not receiving appropriate instruction? We’ve been promised the same technology, and attempt at including him in a K4 class when possible, assurance that an auditory training curriculum has been purchased. (To which my husband responded…”uh yeah, I just got these video tapes about surgery. When do you want to schedule the procedure?”)

So, rather than dragging this out another 4-6 months and possibly losing a couple a thousand dollars we couldn’t even begin to figure out where to find in legal fees…we’ve decided to move.

Luckily we have a month to month lease and we found an acceptable place in the school’s neighborhood. Damnit!!!! I hate moving! We just got here a year and a half ago, and we will be moving again in a year and a half.

But we are doing what is best for James, and what parent wouldn’t.

I am just so angry that the district would do this to my child. Everyone continues to ask why and I can’t give them a good answer because we never got a good answer. The only one I can come up with is that they don’t want to pay for James to go…which makes me wish all sorts of horrible things be bestowed upon them in this life and the next.

My mother has offered to pay for movers *heavens open and the hallelujah chorus sings* and DH’s parents have offered us some financial assistance to cover our deposit and sundry moving expenses.

Thank you all for your support. It helps to calm the rage I feel to have a strong support network cheering us on.

[Gwendolyn]

So…In the midst of everything else that is going on, I was pregnant for about 24 hours. I guess it is called a chemical pregnancy, but all it meant for me was a crazy hormone trip and a delayed heavy period. Now that the hormonal component has died down and I have some perspective on the conflicting pregnancy tests, I guess I just feel dazed.

I am disappointed and sad, but it isn’t like we really lost something, because it wasn’t really there, really…

I knew before I got the positive test results. I had been getting pregnancy symptoms all week and then just before it was time to test they started to diminish. It was like I was starting to get very excited and then fairly sure it wasn’t going to be this month. Even when I got the positive, I didn’t trust it enough to start making phone calls (we are early tellers too). By the next day the tests were no longer positive. Then my period showed up five days late and with a serious vengeance.

I am delighted that this means the clomid is working, but I am irrationally concerned that there might be pathology that caused the lack of development. I joked with John that he gave me a crooked sperm to help me remember that this is a normal process that was my body’s way of knowing that this pregnancy was not viable.

I guess I just wish I never knew in the first place…

We are almost all set to move…oh yeah, except for the packing part. We have two boxes packed.

James goes in for a second surgery to clear out a persistently infected incision site from the first surgery next Friday. Then DH got tickets for Wicked in Chicago for my birthday on the 26th. We overnight there (our first since James was born) return the 27th and move the 28th.

Last night, for my one day a week class I taught next weeks lesson on accident. It wasn’t until mid-class a student asked about the syllabus revisions…”what revisions?” I asked.

I am excited for this month to be over. :thud:

[Gwendolyn]

Hello all I know I have been MIA, but this whole moving last minute thing sucks. We are in the new place and were are in the final stages of unpacking. James is in his second week of school and he loves it! He claps and cheers when we show up in the morning. His second surgery also went well and he wore his hearing aid all afternoon. I think I will send it to school with him tomorrow.

We’ve hit a rocky road in the making of another baby…this month they have had to raise my clomid dose because I didn’t even ovulate last month. It didn’t bother me to start taking clomid, but for some reason it did bother me when I found out that it wasn’t working. So…hopefully we can make a baby over Thanksgiving….did I mention the in-laws will be here for a week?

[Gwendolyn]

I guess a little over ten years ago I wrote a letter to myself to be read at my ten year reunion. It just arrived today and I have no recollection of writing it...I had to put it up with comment...
Dear Self,
We are sitting here in English as we all make fun of Mr. Austin pretending to read Barbie's (a classmate, not the doll. After ten years it took me a few passes to remember that) palm, oops--he's moved on to Katie. It is odd as I write this letter, I am held in the greatest Limbo of my life. Tonight is the big meeting to decide if we are going to Europe or not. Obviously when I read this, I will know if I went or not. (In a tragic turn of events we...Kate and Andy...decided that it was only fair to have Hameed go, which made Rich drop out. We also decided it wasn't right for Jyoti to go...that was O.K. I still wonder what that trip would have been like with Rich instead of Hameed. I think we all would have had more fun, but I think other issues would have come up...different jealousies. Perhaps my friendship with Kate would have ended earlier.) Hopefully I have had fun today (Referencing the reunion I assumed I would attend, but didn't) seeing all of the old crew: Jamie, Sara, Stephanie, Elena, Shelia, Leah, Erin...and on. (I truly wish I had the opportunity to connect with all of these women. I look forward to the opportunity at the 20 year) Kate probably met at your house beforehand. (more on that later.) Maybe you are teaching at an all girls school, maybe you are new breaking star, or the hottest young director, or maybe none of the above. (I'm glad I gave myself an out.) You may even be married to a wonderful person. (Check) To give context your favorite song is Mother, Mother, you saw Twister, The Last Supper, and The Celluloid Closet this weekend. Things with Hameed are alright (I have finally shed most of the damage that psycho caused...I love my wonderful spouse). Things with Kate are wonderful (Clearly, I did not foresee her sleeping with my boyfriend in college. I think I am still working on the damage she caused.) Believe it or not you actually have a crush on Jerry Coash again. Do yourself a favor and say something, or do something wild w/ Jerry. (I had convinced myself around this time that Jerry was my destiny. As much as I like to pretend I am level headed, I clearly have a soft spot for the overly dramatic. First love and all that...as I approach my eighth year with my husband, a wedding Jerry attended, I am still a bit giddy over the idea ) Well despite all of us making fun of Mr. Austin, we all got our palms read by him. I am to be an actress with money, but it would take a long time to decide. According to the Marvelous Mr. Austin, I should be deciding what to do just as I am reading this. Well, not this exact moment in my life, but what I'm going through. (I'm not sure what I meant by that, but this next part was very touching for me to read...self love an’ stuff) I hope you are doing well, I love you very much, and I hope what ever you are doing, you are taking care of yourself. Good Luck Caitlein Anne.
-Love,
Yourself

I think that my 18 year old-self would approve of the 29 year-old self. I think my last lines were touching, because of all of the hopes wrapped up in this letter, those were the ones I really wanted to believe were possible. I'm not sure those needs were met when I wrote the letter, but I am fulfilled now in a way that I didn't know I could believe myself to be in just ten short years. It is such a gift to know I am exactly where I wanted to be and it is a fantastic place.

[Gwendolyn]

I am so excited I finally got around to figuring out how to do this picture thing. I have, by the way, posted pictures to at least three other sites before I found the photobucket thread. Thank goodness!

This was at the Renaissance Festival this summer


This was our Christmas picture.

This was in the butterfly room at the public museum.


These are some pics from our family day at the Fields Museum and Shedd Aquarium the weekend before Christmas.

[Gwendolyn]

These past few weeks have been a bit blurry...I'm sure the hormones have something to do with it. It is funny. I was just starting to genuinely give up hope that this was going to happen any time soon. I had even decided to take a break from the clomid for a few months. Just to gain some perspective before trying again. Now I am already starting to feel sick and very tired. DH is convinced it is twins because of the drugs, but who knows...chances are there is still just one in there. The sickness and tiredness has started a bit earlier than it did with DS, but if we analyze every difference, I will go crazy over the next few months.
I told a few very close friends who have been a great support through this fertility battle, but we have decided to wait to tell everyone else. It is so hard for me to do this. I am a pretty transparent person, and in some ways need that transparency. So, it is difficult to not explain why I am constantly dropping things and spacing and generally not myself. It is still a long ways until we hear a heart beat (our marker for telling), I just gotta hang in there. It will get here when it gets here. Although, I am taking the sickness and tiredness as a good sign that my body is supporting the pregnancy and all is proceeding as planned.

Here are some family fun pics in the snow



Kisses from my boys

[Gwendolyn]

So…I will start the story by saying everything is just fine. I went in on Thursday for my monthly OB appointment. After chatting about a few things my Doc pulled out the Doppler to listen to the heartbeat. After a few minutes and a couple position changes he decided that his Doppler must be broken. He came back to the room with a new one and said, “We’ll try the fancy new one.” Still nothing. Finally I said, “I can’t say that I’m a big fan of not hearing the heartbeat.” He confirmed that he wasn’t very happy about it either. He asked me about any bleeding and I told him everything had been normal. Thank God they have an ultrasound machine in their office. The horrible OB in AZ didn’t have one in the clinic. (not what made her horrible). He assured we would take a look before I left. I had to sit alone in the waiting room by myself for about 20 min. imagining all of the terrible things that could have gone wrong.

At work one of the kids had fifth’s disease. I had never heard of it on the west coast, but apparently it is pretty common around here. Mostly it is a flu-like thing you get as a kid. It is sort of like chicken pox. Your chances of getting it twice are pretty low. In a healthy person…crappy week-long sickness. In a pregnant lady, it increases chances of miscarriage before 20 weeks. It is common enough here, my OB wasn’t even going to test me for antibodies, but I insisted because it was work related and I wanted to cover my bases. I did not have it as a child. I tested negative for long-term and short-term antibodies within a week of exposure. So…I still needed to do another blood test to confirm I am in the clear. It is hard to tell based on my health, because I have had a permanent upper repertory ick, an ear infection, and a few bouts with the stomach flu. Then I started to worry about all of the Sudafed I have been taking to keep my ear situation at bay. Yikes!! I could have really worked myself up ha I had to wait a few days to get into a radiology clinic.

So…the moment the US wand hit my tummy the heartbeat appeared in full force. My Doc just couldn’t find it. He thought I had an anterior placenta…nope normal positioning. After a few measurements I decided that I didn’t need to wait for DH to learn the sex of the baby. (I am so impatient!!!) The nurse doing the US said she would take a peek, but if she had to hunt for it we would just wait for the 20 week. I decided that was fair. Nothing. She couldn’t find it…which she said ups the odds for a girl. We’ll see. I feel like the moment I decide it is a girl, we will see a little twig and berries at the next US.

In the end, a scary 30 min, but a fun opportunity to peek in on the little bean in

Profile of the baby in my belly.


Alien face picture. There is a white spot near its face that is a hand. It waved at us during the US.


Not to leave the oldest out of the conversation we have had a major breakthrough!!! James has started going pee on the potty!!! He is not consistent, but goes a couple a times a day. I will take it! I was convinced that he would be five and still in diapers. A few weeks ago he was sitting, but holding it and then soaking through diapers and clothes. Then, this past week at school he has been a holy terror. Exhibiting very un-James like behavior. Temper tantrums, pushing, throwing toys, and on Thursday he spit in another child’s face. I don’t mean he did a raspberry, I mean he spit at another child. I got in the car and immediately started crying. God! How is it possible that my child would do this? I called my mom and in an off handed remark, I said, “maybe this behavior means that he will start going on the potty.” Then on Friday half of the time he went in the potty. Just like that. So far today has been no different.

I am not sure what it is about developmental leaps, but I always notice a deficit in James in one area as he is grasping a new area. Then in a few weeks everything evens out again. I am relieved that there is an explanation for his atrocious behavior, but I am still concerned with the way it has manifested itself. We spent a lot of time talking about appropriate behavior and James made a card for the boy that he spit at to apologize for his behavior. He has next week off of school and I hope that we can find some balance before he goes back.


A picture of the artist


Some of his handy work. Faces. Some with toothy smiles, some with just smiles.


Horticulture Domes


Zoo Train


DH takes his mock boards a week from today. Last year didn’t go so well and this year he is doing better with studying. He still hasn’t given himself the room for studying that he used to in med school, but I can tell he can feel the end. Is there such a thing as senioritis in residency? I hope that he is more prepared. Last year was not fun. I will be the good wife for the next week. Make sure he has good food and a silent house. I will ignore the snippy attitude and the complete lack of interest in anything other than his universe. I have to say…It is harder to do when you have gotten used to a more normal interaction, but still carry the baggage from a time of near total separation. But, no biggie. Seven days is nothing.

[Gwendolyn]

Sometimes I just want to say, “For Gods sake! It has been eleven years since you graduated from high school. Do ya think you might figure out what you want to do with the rest of your life?”

Man oh man! DH has undecided on a glaucoma fellowship. He is now entertaining retina as well. Fine. He has three months to figure it out. It is helpful that his retina rotation was immediately followed by glaucoma, but it hasn’t answered any questions. Issues include time v. money. Retina is more time and call, but a lot more money. Glaucoma is practically no call, but an average amount of money (in doctor land…if anyone considers that range insufficient they need to have their heads checked.) Retina is a two year fellowship, glaucoma is one year. He could write his ticket to the best programs for glaucoma, but will have to hustle some for retina….but when all is said and done, all practices need retina and we could basically choose where to live, while glaucoma may require some compromise. He likes both surgeries, is good at both and is drawn a bit more to the challenge of retina, but feels more proficient at glaucoma. *sigh* I could go on. I think that you get the picture.

I wish I could tell him “we need that money, go retina.” or “we need you home more, go glaucoma.” (I know he wishes I could do the same thing.) But this decision is not that black and white. I think there is a great deal of anxiety about fellowship. This is the final one. After this, he (we) has to live with his decisions. There are no more decisions to make. I am just ready to be done! (At least get the hell out of Dodge…or Milwaukee in our case)

If you were curious about our personalities…this is the perfect portrait of our marriage.

In other news…I returned the unopened pack of diapers to Target last week. Three weeks after DS went on the potty for the first time we are virtually accident free, including at night. Poop is a hit and miss situation, but I expect that will be the case for a while. However, DS did poop on the potty this morning after much anxiety about it last night. I get that pooping into a tub of water can be freaky, but it seems to me that it shouldn’t take much to learn that poop in the underwear is way gross. We’ll get there. Right now if he has to poop he starts screaming and crying and refuses to pee. Jumping up and down, “NO PEEE! NO POTTY!!!” This morning was pretty triumphant, however, so I am hoping the hysterics will be lessened next time.


I have finally finished my play for the semester. It went well. All the kids were happy. The parents were happy. I was vaguely proud. Our first show was wonderful. If that is how it looked every time, I would have been delighted. As students and parent volunteers got into the rhythm of the show and subsequently lazy multiple silly mistakes were made…rarely the same ones twice, so it was impossible to stay on top of things. I am happy it is done. I would now be nice to be paid for it a week later.


I am almost done with Marquette as well. I just have finals and grades to turn in. This semester has been the easiest and I am still so glad that I don’t have to teach there again. I think I will always avoid private schools if at all possible. It actually worked out well. As I was sitting down to send an e-mail to my supervisor to let her know I wouldn’t be returning due to my impending second child, I saw that I had received an e-mail from her. They have discontinued the course I taught. Boy am I glad I am pregnant and planned on dropping that class anyway.

I have received my full time position at the daycare. I will be in the 1 ½ year old room. I am happy about that because I will be able to be close to my baby when I return after maternity leave (they are the next room over) and my co-teacher is low drama. It will be a challenge because I will not be able to use any of what I spent 10 years in college for. I was hoping to get a study about using drama with toddlers out of my time at the daycare, but I don’t think that will work out with the non-verbal, occasionally barely walking crowd. Maybe there is something there…voice and movement in the formative years?

I will keep my one night a week class in the fall. I am taking two months off from daycare for maternity, so that will be the bulk of the semester. I can show up somewhere one nigh a week with a new baby. My dilemma is should I, shouldn’t I petition for another class one night a week. I was offered play analysis (I taught it last year) at almost any time I choose. I don’t know if I am asking for a disaster or not. It would, however ease the financial burden of two months of unpaid maternity leave while DH is interviewing for fellowships. But it would be teaching 6 credits while also having a new baby and a full time job elsewhere for about a month of the semester…hmm. I think I will pursue it and decide later.

[Gwendolyn]

As Mother's day looms, I am already working ahead for Father's day. James drew his first person today and it was dad. We talked about the parts as he drew so I was able to lable everything. I can't wait to frame it and see DH's face I had to share with someone or I wasn't going to be able to wait that long!

[Gwendolyn]

Pictures of Mother's Day We had breakfast at our usual Sunday morning spot and then went to the park/beach nearby. It is my favorite Sunday activity! We flew a kite, built a sand castle, and just layed around on the sand. It was perfect!

[Gwendolyn]

I know I’ve been MIA for a while. The end of the semester is always difficult. I have finally made the transition out of my more freelance life into a more full-time daycare life. I still have some conflicting feelings about the decision, but it really is the best possible solution. After including the savings in daycare costs I am making as much as I would as an assistant professor, but I get to be near my children. It just seems too much to ask my kids to have a father who works 60+ hours a week and a mom who does the same. I know that there are plenty of families who do this and have wonderfully well-adjusted kids; I just can’t bring myself to do it. I am not going to lie and say it doesn’t bruise the ego to be working in daycare, but that is all externally imposed. The difference in response when I tell someone that I am a daycare teacher or an adjunct professor is tremendous. I am amazed at the way parents treat daycare teachers. I get that it is difficult to leave your child with someone else every day, but it seems counter-productive to treat that person as less than or with hostility. Of course this is not all parents; I am just consistently surprised at the unspoken classism in our society.

I have moved centers to one closer to our house and DS’s school and I got a promotion. I am the assistant director at the center. I am grateful for the added responsibility. I am also excited about my upcoming maternity leave. It won’t be paid, but I get one. I was back in the classroom a week and a half after James was born…that was miserable. I am afraid I will like SAHMdom too much or feel claustrophobic and lonely. I guess I will find out.

I am still keeping my one night a week class at UWM. I can get myself to a class I have taught many times once a week. In some ways it will be my connection to the world around me, and will hopefully answer a hole in my CV when I am back on the market for professor positions.

James and I just went to Phoenix for a visit. My apologies to those who are in the Valley of the Sun. It would have been nice to add to my list of iMSN real life meetings, but with a once a year family visit, we ran our tails off all week.

My mom was on her best behavior and we had a great time together. She even booked her ticket to come for the baby about an hour after James and I got on our flight. My dad was a completely different story. My parents divorced while I was in college. They probably should have done it many years before, but didn’t. My dad has a history of alcoholism and I think, after this visit, that he has started to fall into some of his old addictive behaviors. He is a total train wreck. It was hard and disappointing. My brother came down from San Francisco to meet us there and it was as always wonderful to see him. We also spent some time with my dearest friends. My girlfriend is about 32 weeks pregnant and she timed her shower for the weekend I was there. It was fun to see some friends I would not have seen otherwise. These gatherings are always a bit strange though. Her husband is one of my best friends from High School and was in the same fraternity as DH (how we met). Guy friend is still friends with most of the guys, while DH is not. This includes a pretty serious ex of mine…the one who slept with my best friend (no longer friend). Anyways, it is strange to maintain polite shower conversation with his wife. It was nearly 10 years ago now, but odd none the less.

As a weird side note, every baby that has been born to this group of guys has been a boy and all the ones on the way are boys…weird. I asked DH if they did any strange fertility rituals.

Some pics of the past few weeks.

In the water with my mom




Breakfast with my dad


Bowling with my brother


Evidence of my child’s genius (he did this all on his own)



Us at the zoo


A picture of second call-only senior year